How-to Enable SIP Dialing with Google Voice [Tutorial]

How-to Enable SIP Support with Google Voice [Tutorial]

By Alok Saboo on August 14th, 2009

In spite of my last post on why you should not use Google Voice as your primary number, I firmly believe that Google Voice is a great service and a must have for everyone. For all its greatness, the lack of SIP support in Google Voice stuck out like a sore thumb. Today we break that barrier as well, this tutorial will allow you to enable SIP dialing with your Google Voice…yes SIP support with Google!!! Let me first acknowledge azc123 from whom I have adapted this tutorial. Get ready, follow us for a step-by-step tutorial on how to enable SIP support on your Google Voice Account.

Why Do you need this?

If you have used Google Voice, you would have noticed that you can make calls only from the web interface or through some third party app. You cannot use Google Voice to make calls using your SIP device. This tutorial will allow you to make and receive calls from your Google Voice account using a SIP device.

Step 1: Basic requirements

Firstly, you will need a Google Voice account.
You also need a Gizmo5 account. Create one here.
You will need a SIP hardware or software. I am using x-lite (so that I can show you the screenshots), but you can easily follow the instructions with any other software/device.
Finally, you will need to download xGVout. Just download and extract the contents of the zip file in a safe place. Don’t worry, the files are virus free

Step 2: Get started

You need to add your Gizmo5 number to your Google Voice account. Just go to Settings > Phones > Add another phone in your Google voice account and add the 10 digit Gizmo5 SIP number (747XXXXXXX). You will have to verify this number so that Google can forward calls to this number. For verification, you can use the Gizmo5 software to receive the calls or you could use x-lite.
Now you need to enable outbound calling from Gizmo5. Just sign-in to your Gizmo5 account and enter your Google Voice in the top box and enable Google Voice option.
Start the xGVout.exe from the files you downloaded and enter the details. Enter proxy01.sipphone.com in SIP server field, your 10 digit Gizmo5 SIP number in Phone field, and your GV authentication details.
Finally, enter the Gizmo5 SIP details in your SIP hardware or software. In x-lite, you can enter the following details. Note the Proxy field. This is the key to this tutorial. You need to enter the IP address of the machine on which xGVout is running and the port which you used in step 3 above.
After you click OK, x-lite should sign in to your Gizmo5 account. In case, you get any error message, just exit xGVout and x-lite and try again. It should work!!
That’s it…you are all set to make unlimited calls using your Google Voice account through SIP.

Step 3: Making the call

To make the call, just enter the 10 digit number (without any 00 or 1) and dial. You will hear a busy tone, just hang up then. You will receive a call back from your Google Voice number and then you will be connected to the number you dialed. Just to give you little more insight into the process, when you make the call from x-lite, the call is intercepted by xGVout. xGVout then makes the calls using the standard Google Voice process, but it is not made visible. Also, since the call is converted to an incoming call, you will not be billed by Gizmo5 for receiving calls.

So till Google officially supports SIP, you can use this tutorial to enable SIP support with Google Voice and make unlimited calls through your Google Voice account. Please share the word so that others can also enjoy the SIP support.

Related posts:

LoneRanger
hello.. as of now u dont need to do any of that. just configure a GV account with one phone number assosciated to it, and do the following:

1. Go to voice page in account and add another phone no. Put your G5 Sip no. in the box without the 1.. and make sure the phone u add is selected as Gizmo.

2. Login to your G5 account and then go back to GV page in browser and verify the phone.. when your G5 rings on PC you will be prompted to enter the 2 digit verification. It should be verified now and appear in your list once refreshing the GV setting page in browser.

3. In GV page select to make a call on top left and select the G5 no. (and any others to ring as desired) now enter a number to call. GV will call you back on your SIP no and connect the call. For free. You do not need to put any more credit on your g5 account to use GV (as its calling you back) just make sure in forwarding settings on G5 that no forwarding options are selected (as default)

Happy calling.... works 100% - i have never put credit on my gizmo5 acc.

3.

Alok Saboo
You are absolutely correct, but unfortunately the method you described only allows incoming calls on SIP. This has been around since the beginning. What Google Voice does not provide is SIP support and this tutorial was aimed at providing SIP outgoing service to your Google Voice account. Hope you see the difference...

LoneRanger
Alok.. I understand exactly what u mean. But I can use my sip no. configured through Fring to make calls off the cell service over data on my Nexus1 cell to make outgoing on Voice. And since i use GV as my main line running via my carrier no on cell (which has unlimited Data over GPRS) i can use it anywhere - for free.

May I also say that as Gizmo5 is now owned by Google and its staff combined with GV developers, its plain to see that SIP integration will be seamless very soon. There will be no Skype after its working. But I think it will stay beta for another year or two. History with gmail shows they spend years making sure 'its right'

Worth mentioning that in my humble opinion Nexus 1 and the way it works - the 1st device which integrates G software, ie voice, gmail, talk working 100% through the native dialer on phone (all apps preinstalled and work like a dream, inc. fantastic sync). - is the enabling device for all their services. And once google figure out how to configure GV over data lines only (currently they rely on mobile networks to route calls) then that could force the monopoly mobile networks to lower prices or risk loosing everyone to GV. Skype are worried as seen in press recently but In my view AT&T should take notice.

Maybe another thread re: Nexus One? Any comments?

Alok Saboo
I am not sure, if I understand your first point (about Fring).

You are right, Nexus (not surprisingly) is very well integrated with Google apps. Hopefully, we should have better integration on other phones as well. It will be interesting to see how the Gizmo/Google integration plays out.

cdero
Not sure if my question got through, did you receive my question?

Alok Saboo
Just posted....sorry for the delay :)

cdero
ok, I finally verified my gizmo5 number now on to step 3, the xGVout.exe does not open. BTW, I have a Mac and it opens up in textedit saying that it does not open in Dos.

Alok Saboo
That might be causing the problem, I am not sure if xGVout works on Mac. Can't you run a Windows application using some emulator? I am no mac expert, but I hear that you can run Windows applications using CrossOver.

cdero
Ok, I did the steps but on a pc this time using widows XP. This time I got to step 4 but I keep getting Registration error -408-Request Timout...

I kep stoping it and starting it and it gets tiring....

Alok Saboo
I can understand that it can get frustrating, but till Google provides us with an alternative, we will have to live with it. Fortunately, you are almost there!!

Just exit both the x-lite and xGVout and restart them. Start xGVout first and then x-lite. This should help!!

cdero
Ok, could it be because I put it the gizmo details on to x-lite first in order for it to get verified and then when I got to step 4 I had to take the details out to put the new details in? Don't know why its not registering...its about the 5th time I have started the thing over...

Alok Saboo
You are following the right process....you need to enter the details of the proxy after you have verified your Gizmo number. That ways when you dial any number from x-lite, it will be intercepted by xGVout. Starting and stopping usually works....

pm
this don't work

Alok Saboo
Can you tell me specifically, which step is causing the problem. May be after the recent acquisition, they have changed the policies.

pm
if i dial 10 digit i do not get a busy tone, but i do if i dial 11 digit numbers, i hang up but no call back from GV.
my gizmo is registered and everything. i'm using an ATA and can accept incoming from GV

Alok Saboo
Try using the setup with the ATA, i.e., on the same machine run Gizmo and xGVOut, and see if that is working. If your setup is correct and you are still not able to get this working let me know.

pm
it still wont work with x-lite and gvout on the same machine, i get the busy tone but no call back

Alok Saboo
Let me try it out on my machine, but I am guessing that the recent acquisition of Gizmo5 could be the possible cause. Will keep you posted. Thanks for the heads up!!

pm
i think it's because there is no google voice option in my gizmo account setup page.

Alok Saboo
Then it looks like Google has stopped the option for the time being (till they get things sorted with Gizmo). Will try to figure out another approach...

cdero
Question, in step 1, you said, "For verification, you can use the Gizmo5 software to receive the calls or you could use x-lite." I am using X-lite. I am stuck on the verification part. I added my Gizmo5 number but who does google voice calls me to verify the gizmo5 number when I'm using x-lite? I don't recall you going over the x-lite hook up.

Alok Saboo
You could use the Gizmo software or even use x-lite with the Gizmo settings. Both would work just fine...

You could use the following settings in x-lite:

SIP Proxy: proxy01.sipphone.com:5060
STUN server: stun01.sipphone.com:3478
Username: Your SIP number
Password: Your password

TwoHawks
Thanks for posting this Alok. I basically got it to work, I do get the busy signal ...but then it seems I can never obtain the callback from GV. I have tried twiddling with the settings till the cows come home.. I am a bit stumped. Maybe its my VPN?

More info,
I am using a VPN service. Everything I do here, including GV calling and such works notrmally.
When setting up this scenario I use the assigned VPN Ip 192.xxx.xx.xx
Here's the unique thing, the VPN assignment is as follows
Ip 192.xxx.xx.xx
Subnet 255.255.255.255
Gateway: 192.xxx.xx.xx
...so note that the gateway is the same as the IP. I wonder if I have to set something up differently than descibed because of this setup?
Any suggestions?
Thanks, TwoHawks

Alok Saboo
I see what you are saying. One way to diagnose the setup would be to ping form the machine that has xGVout to the one which has Gizmo on it. Is your VPN blocking some ports - that is most likely to be the cause.

J
Hi, Alok!

I'm trying to implement this on my machine, but I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. When I make the call in X-Lite, I don't get the busy signal. I just get connected directly, and then I have the three-minute time-out limit. I would appreciate any help you can offer with this. Thank you!

Alok Saboo
If you are not getting the busy signal, I am guessing that x-lite is not able to communicate with xGVout. Did you enter the proxy correctly? Recheck the proxy settings in the x-lite settings and try again. Let me know if you are still not able to get through

J
Thanks, Alok! How do I determine the IP address of the machine on which xGVout is running? I just tried again by going to http://www.whatismyip.com/ and then plugging that ip in with the ":5060" after it, but that didn't work and now I'm getting the "Account 1747xxxxxxx could not be enabled." error. Sorry, I'm a total newbie to this--I appreciate your quick response and your patience!

Alok Saboo
Great, you are almost there!! http://www.whatismyip.com with give you the external IP, so that would not help. To get the IP address of the machine on which xGVout is running, Click Start - Run - Cmd [Enter]

In the DOS prompt that opens type ipconfig and then Enter. Note down the IP address for your ethernet adapter (LAN card). This is the address that you need to enter in the proxy field. Hope this helps..

J
That did the trick, Alok! At first it didn't work, but I closed out of xlite and xGVout and then re-started both programs.

Thank you so much for your help! This is a really neat way of making calls, and I really appreciate that you are sharing this with everyone, as well as helping with troubleshooting!

Alok Saboo
I am glad, you were able to use it. Enjoy and spread the good word!!

boredstiff
"3. You will need a SIP hardware or software."

great.. now show the hardware setup for the SPA2102 ATA. Assume I will be using Line2 and pbxes.com

Since I cannot leave my computer running 24/7 I obviously cannot run the shown application

Alok Saboo
Its actually not that difficult. If you go in to the voice settings of the ATA, you will find similar fields and you can enter the same details as you would enter in X-lite or any other SIP phone. I will try to put together a tutorial with screenshots.

boredstiff
"3. You will need a SIP hardware or software."

great.. now show the setup for the SPA2102 ATA. Since I cannot leave my computer running 24/7 I obviously cannot run the shown application

Sirmikey1
There is a much easier way to do this here:
http://www.mysipswitch.com/forum/viewtopic.php?...

Sirmikey1
There is a much better way to do this, also works on ATA and Wifi phones:
http://www.mysipswitch.com/forum/viewtopic.php?...

Guest
There is a better solution for GV free calling right here:
http://www.mysipswitch.com/forum/viewtopic.php?...

paulovicentini
You can try it also using Doddle Online WebPhone with your favorite VoIP service provider:
www.doddlephone.com

Alok Saboo
That is a great suggestion, that ways you do not have to download and install x-lite (or any other softphone). Thanks!!

Name
I get a 408 error registration timeout. I followed the steps to a t. Any help?

Alok Saboo
This might happen occasionally, just exit both xlite and xGVout. Then start xGVout first and then xlite. This should help. If it still gives you the error, try stopping and starting xGVout...let me know if this helps

How-to Enable SIP Support with Google Voice [Tutorial]

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